Interior Detailing Guide

Here we’ll cover the best methods for detailing your car’s interior. It’s not necessary to detail the inside of your car each time you wash it however a little time spent cleaning each weekend will keep your monthly interior detail from taking up your whole Saturday afternoon.

Weekly Car Interior Clean

1. A quick clean with an APC All-Purpose Cleaner or Multi-Purpose Interior Cleaner can be used to remove any sticky stains or spots. An APC microfibre detailing towel is excellent for this task, as it will leave a lint-free and dust-free finish.
2. Pull out your floor mats and shake or brush off the dirt or give them a quick vacuum if required.

Monthly Car Interior Detailing

Once a month your car’s interior will need a little more than a quick wipe-down.

After a while, your interior glass will have some film build up, the carpet will need to be vacuumed and the dash and other vinyl parts will need new protection.

1. Vacuum the interior carpet, seats, seat crevices and console.
2. Use an APC All-Purpose Cleaner or Interior Cleaner and make carpet and upholstery stains vanish. Use a scrub brush to work the cleaner into the spot and blot it away with a clean towel. Once the spot is dry re-vacuum the area to fluff the carpet pile again.
3. Spray an microfibre towel with an APC All-Purpose Cleaner or Interior Cleaner and wipe down all vinyl, plastic and rubber surfaces. If a more thorough clean is necessary, use the soft-bristled natural horse hair interior upholstery brush to gently scrub the surface. Don’t forget to clean the back of steering wheel, you don’t see it, but this area gets dirty easily.
4. For light duty cleaning on sensitive automotive surfaces around the instrument and infotainment panel use an ultra-soft brush like the Detail Factory Ultra Soft Detailing Brush. These areas are often overlooked and difficult to clean, but it makes a big difference in the overall appearance of your vehicle’s interior.
5. Clean the interior glass using an ammonia free glass cleaner, like Stoner Invisible Glass Cleaner or Sonax Glass Cleaner. Both of these cleaners are safe on tinted windows. Use a Waffle Weave Microfibre Glass Towel to wipe the glass clean with no streaks or lint. To avoid overspray, mist the towel with the glass cleaner rather than spraying it directly on the glass.
6. Leather and Vinyl seats will respond best to a leather cleaner such as P&S Leather Treatment or Sonax Leather Milk. These specialised cleaning and conditioning products are designed to safely clean and remove dust, dirt, oils and stains. The conditioner will restore leather's original look, suppleness and help keep the seats flexible.
7. Spray a microfibre towel with the leather cleaner and wipe down the seats. Use a leather cleaning brush such as the Colourlock Leather Cleaning Brush for stubborn stains and in the seams.
8. Thoroughly clean around the door panels, armrests, door handles and window levers using an APC and a detail brush then wipe clean and dry with an APC microfibre towel. Spray the door jambs with an APC or a diluted degreaser and agitate with a detail brush (one you use on the exterior of your car.) Carefully hose out the doorjamb.

That's all there is to it! While not the most fun part of detailing, interior cleaning doesn't need to be hard. Remember, it's easier to do weekly maintenance on your vehicle's interior than it is to do an arduous clean every 6 months or so!